Sevin degrades completely in about a month and the products of this decomposition are not poisonous. You keep citing UK this and EU that but I am not all that interested in regulations in the UK other than as a curiosity. They really have no bearing on American law. There are a lot of bans and restrictions on EU citizens that do not apply to Americans. I think you need to do a little more homework, particularly looking outside the formal tests in the US. You appear to dismiss the research done by other governments out of hand as a 'curiosity' which implies they have no real world value. I suppose this is a viable position if you believe the US rules and everyone else drools, but of not then... The US is one of the most capitalist nations in the world and as such is more influenced by corporate lobbies than most other nations. (No, I am not some Marxist, in fact I lean more toward libertarianism (particularly civil libertarianism) as a political philosophy than any other). I simply recognize the undue influence corporations have on US policy makers than they do in other nations. Sevin is flat out illegal in many countries, but available for you and I in the US to spray on our food. MMMMM... Sevin seasoning. It's a known human carcinogen, but the EPA/USDA say it is OK if used as directed. Trouble is every time the under funded and under staffed USDA/EPA test they find produce with much higher than approved pesticide residue. They simply do not test much due to funding issues. Sevin is also known to be a cholinesterase inhibitor which means it screws with insect, mammalian and human nervous systems. I would like to link to a study done by Cornell which starts off poo-pooing concerns over the use of Sevin, but frankly admits it causes reproductive issues in dogs Here is the quote: "We do know that carbaryl is quite toxic to honey bees, certain beneficial insects such as lady beetles, and parasitic wasps and bees, certain species of aquatic insects, and some forms of shellfish such as shrimp and crabs. Care must be taken when using carbaryl in areas where these organisms exist." Extensive evidence indicates that carbaryl does not cause cancer or genetic changes in animals(in spite of it being listed as a carcinogen and reproductive disorder causing chemical). Carbaryl has also been extensively tested for its effect on reproduction and the occurrence of birth effects (we call this teratogenic potential). Experiments have been conducted on various strains of rats and mice, and on hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, sheep, and monkeys. Adverse effects have occurred only in dogs." Hmmm.. so is the average homeowner/gardener more likely to have a sheep as a pet or a dog? Having lost a golden retriever at the age of seven to a pesticide company using a product known to cause tumorous cancers in dogs I don't just look at the estimated human toxic effects (and in the US they are all estimated or use applicators), I look at the effects to other living things I have on my property from good bugs, to pets to kids. I have found the US EPA/USDA to list things as perfectly safe to humans that other countries consider *known* to mess up humans and have thus banned. While the US studies are damning enough, other nations with less corporate influence are reaching other conclusions. Canada found that Sevin: It causes birth defects in mammals, especially dogs. It worsens the condition of people with hypertension and people on anti-depressant drugs. It impairs the function of the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, and the reproductive system. It causes hyperactivity and learning disabilities in mammals. It could increase the chance of heart attack in people with weak hearts. The main break-down product, nitrosocarbaryl, which is easily created in the human gut, is a potent cancer-causing agent.(this contradicts your information that says:"Sevin degrades completely in about a month and the products of this decomposition are not poisonous.") (note: I am quoting a Canadian government study) It causes irreversible chromosomal damage to human DNA (the genes in our cells). Assuming one is the type to believe the US regulatory agencies are the best in the world, there are plenty of reasons to avoid Sevin. Assuming one understands how extensively the US government and regulatory agencies are influenced by corporate contributions one might wish to take a look at the determinations other nations such as Canada and various European nations have reached. Like I said, in many nations outside the US Sevin is flat out banned. In the US it is considered safe to spray on food. Go figure. Ultimately we will all do as we wish. My only hope is we will all do so with sound information at our disposal so we can make reasonable, educated, informed decisions.

O man. All the colorful tasty staff I see here. I am also making something with yellow zuke. There are many ways, stir fry, grill, deep fry, etc. But this time I am making a "stuffed" one. I cut a lid lengthwise, scoop most of the inner contents out, fry it with onions, garlic, paprika, pepper, salt, sausage ... until volume is reduced.I usually make with chicken breast but this time I had sausage handy. Then stuff it back into the zuke, put the lid in, secure by twin and bake it at 350F. ..How long ? Untill it is done. lol. Maybe an hour or so. This is differen kind of stuffing, not the traditional wit lots of rice.. and what not

The only other thing that comes to mind at the moment is that something is preventing good root development. Did you loosen the root balls as you planted? Make sure there were no large air bubbles around the plants? Is it possible you have burrowing animals eating at the roots? You could try digging up a plant or two and examining the roots to see if you could get a hint. And, if they came in pots that were supposed to be biodegradable, I'd dig them up and remove the pots. After this much time the roots should be extending well into the surrounding soil. If they're not, you've identified the problem (although the cause is something else). It IS possible that the daily watering is a problem, but that shouldn't be stunting them quite like this--they'd look a bit more rotten and less like malnourished orphans. If you do have to move, you can keep everything you've bought, and you shouldn't need to buy anything else. But if multiple local people have told you not to move yet, I wouldn't until you've done a test, like removing a plant, putting it in the same soil in a pot in a different place, and watching to see if the sole change of location improves matters. Maybe dig a couple of things up and take some pictures of the roots?

My journaling has ebbed and flowed with the times, sometimes I am a prolific writer and cataloger of my life and gardens, other times, not so much. This year I ran out of room in the journal I have been keeping for five or six years now, I just checked and the last entry was June 6 of this year when I said I was running out of room in the journal! I guess that would be a good thing to ask for as a Christmas gift from someone. Wow mariannese, 28 years of journaling! What a lovely history for you, and perhaps family members who would love to see those memories and knowledge for the future. What a treasure. Some years ago I took a class in Women's Journals and Memoirs. It really honed my writing skills and dicipline to write daily. I learned the things you write about don't have to be life changing or monumental, just daily musings about what you experienced and saw and felt that day, nothing more. That's what great about journaling, you aren't out to write the Great American Novel (or Danish or Chinese or any other nationality) but just documenting your life in a way. I tend to mix personal feelings in with garden notations, I think the two are often intertwined. I love to throw in sketches in my journal as well, sometimes plans for a new garden, sometimes just a quick drawing of my dog lying on the porch, or whatever inspires me at the time. Some of the plans in my journal are invaluable to remembering where I planted what! I tend to list new plants I bought and where I planted them (thankfully) so I can find them later and remember their names. In essence, I keep most of my personal thoughts and ramblings in my handwritten journal, but I am also a relentless cataloger and organinzer of plants which I do on the computer. I have lists and charts galore of roses and other plants with photos in my own personal database that I can reference from time to time. It also keeps me busy during the winter months when cataloging and organizing is my only garden chore. Here are some random excerpts from my journal 2009: 2/28 I've ordered 21 roses (eek!) and now I have to figure out where to plant them all... "Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts" 4/23 Zandi's 16th birthday! 4 eggs in the bluebird nest. Going to be a warm weekend, temps in the 80s. Pruned back all old canes on Maggie - she's put up 3 new thick basals so we'll see how she does... There's a Carolina wren nesting in the garage amid the spray bottles...good thing I don't keep toxic chemicals! 4/28 Cardinals have a nest in Knockout. Now I can't SP it. 5/1 Happy May Day! Ugh, its raining - again. 6/6 I'm running out of room in this book...ripped out KO today (yay!) and replaced it with Earthsong... Happy journaling everyone!